On July 4th, 2006, I embarked on a quest to become the pre-eminent American portrait painter of the 21st century. This blog chronicles that journey. With apologies to Joan Didion, I call it THE YEAR OF MAGICAL PAINTING.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Lyndon Baines Johnson on Valentine's Day

One man's theory: More people should watch the Rachel Maddow show. Sure, I'm a Democrat, but I think it's pretty clever television regardless. And hey, I watch Fox News every once in a while, just to see what they're up to. I don't see why the reverse shouldn't hold. It makes you a more rounded person.

You don't find her insufferably twee?I find her twee -- no question about it. I would say annoyingly twee but not insufferably twee.Okay.

Case in point re. Maddow: Two u-tube videos about LBJ. One -- Kirk Douglas and Helen Hayes reading love letters written in the 1930s between him and his fiance, Lady Bird -- is quite lovely. The other -- which, fair warning, includes the words nuts and bunghole, plus some burping, plus a reference to carrying a knife -- is sort of horribly alarming, even if the man's just ordering some pants. Both of these were featured on last night's Maddow show.